Reddit has been fined £14.47m by the data regulator for failing to protect the privacy of children using the platform.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said that Reddit, the fourth most-visited social media platform in the UK, had used the personal information of children “unlawfully” and did not adequately check the age of its UK users.
Websites operating in the UK typically use a mix of self-declaration, technical checks and third‑party verification services to attempt to verify the age of users. Reddit generally relies on a provider called Persona that checks selfies or ID photos when users try to access age‑restricted content. But users are still able to create an account without any form of age verification to check areas of the site deemed inappropriate for children.
The ICO said that Reddit’s terms of service prohibited children under 13 years of age using its platform, but said it did not have any measures in place to check the age of users until July 2025. It estimates...